See prominent estate with Hollywood link — now for sale on Sacramento River
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Historic 3.88-acre estate on Sacramento River listed for $3.25 million.
- Property includes 1927 Craftsman home, park-like grounds and guest quarters.
- Riverfront site featured in 1935 John Ford film ‘Steamboat Round the Bend.’
A Craftsman-style home with Japanese influences, sitting on the largest residential lot on the banks of the Sacramento River, is for sale for $3.25 million — and it comes with ties to the Golden Age of Hollywood.
The rare 3.88-acre estate — located on the river’s “S-curve,” a broad bend popular with boaters and personal watercraft users northwest of downtown Sacramento — blends well-preserved architectural history and modern amenities with the area’s natural beauty.
“For me, it gives the feeling of a Craftsman-style home with a bit of a Japanese touch on it — it’s stunning,” listing agent Debra Evans of Nick Sadek Sotheby’s International Realty said. “I feel like it would be perfect in the Berkeley Hills, meaning that it blends into nature. That’s one of the trending beauties of this property.”
Originally built in 1927, award-winning Sacramento architect Ray Takata extensively renovated the property in 1983. The nearly 3,000-square-foot main house offers three bedrooms, including two primary suites, and four bathrooms.
Sweeping river views
The interior is highlighted by open beam ceilings, triple pane windows and sweeping river views from nearly every room, including a spectacular sunroom.
“The sunroom is just gorgeous for Sunday evenings with family,” Evans said. “It’s a great place to sit and have a glass of wine and look out onto the water.”
The defining characteristic of the property are the expansive, manicured, park-like grounds that are dotted with Heritage oaks and fruit trees. The grassy backyard unfolds down to the high banks of the river — making an ideal venue for weddings, birthday and anniversary parties, family reunions and other special events.
“It is beautiful with all the foliage out here,” Evans said. “It’s a great event space.”
Seller Rob Kilgour said the family has hosted countless parties and celebrations on the grounds.
“My daughters were married out here,” Kilgour said during a recent walk through the yard. “We’ve set up tables out wherever the shade was going to be. In the center, we call this the beer garden. It’s an area where we do all the food prep and the bar is set up there.”
There’s a pergola, or grape arbor, near the water that serves as a front-row spot for watching sunsets over the river.
“There’s really magic on the water,” co-listing agent Erin Kennedy said. “I was down in the Delta and, as the sun was setting, the blood moon was rising, and the reflection on the water was just extraordinary. There’s a peace that you get. I would set some chairs here (under the arbor) and just watch the sun come down. “
Hollywood movie history
Hollywood history once happened behind the house, Kilgour said.
In 1935, director John Ford filmed scenes on the Sacramento River for “Steamboat Round the Bend,” a movie starring Will Rogers about a high-stakes steamboat race in Louisiana. The Sacramento River acted as a substitute for the Mississippi River.
“(The movie) didn’t show the house,” Kilgour said. “It showed the river boats racing by.”
Some of the footage of people waving from the riverbank appears to show the edge of the Kilgour property at 4201 Garden Highway and the “S-curve.”
The movie was released a month after Rogers died in an airplane crash.
The estate has a swimming pool, spa and bathhouse on a flagstone patio. Ipe wood decks wrap around the main house.
Other features include:
- A large basement that could be used for a wine cellar, gym or yoga studio.
- Separate, newly upgraded guest quarters with 600 square feet of living space, one bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchenette.
- Dual gate access with a driveway that wraps around the home, and ample parking.
- Space to build an additional accessory dwelling unit, or ADU.
- Ground-source heat pump.
Nick Sadek, the Sotheby’s International Realty broker, is also a listing agent on the property.
This story was originally published September 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: This story and some of its photo captions incorrectly described the home’s location relative to the city of Sacramento. It is located about a mile outside of Sacramento’s city limits in Sacramento County.
